


Our Future

by Bookwormpride



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: (so basically canon), Angst, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookwormpride/pseuds/Bookwormpride
Summary: Adora always knew Catra was her future.





	Our Future

Well after curfew the hum of machinery and sleepy noises of the other cadets covered Adora and Catras whispers, the dark of the dorms shrinking their world to no further then the edges of Adoras bunk.

“I heard some of them can shoot lasers out of their _eyes_ ,” Adora whispered, curling closer to Catra under the thin blanket they shared.

“We’ll bring a mirror and it’ll shoot it back at them-” Catra said conspiratorially, eyes shining with mirth.

“And they’ll ‘splode into _sparkles_!” Adora snickered, words clumsy around her missing tooth.

Catra clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. “And we’ll sweep it all up and keep it in a jar!”

“ _Ewwww_ princess dust!” Adora squealed.

The two dissolved into giggles, rolling around on the mat as they clutched at their stomachs.

A bunk over an older cadet groaned. Adora and Catra gasped and went silent, waiting to see if they had been caught. The cadet shifted and sighed, still asleep. Adora let out a breath of relief and relaxed.

“Who told you they can shoot lasers?” Catra asked after a moment.

“Lonnie,” Adora said. They were quiet again, until Adora whispered, “I wanna be the one to kill Angella.”

Catra turned onto her side, her face inches from Adoras on the pillow. “Can I help?” She asked hopefully.

Adora grinned, finding Catras hand and squeezing it. “Duh, we’re gonna do it together!”

Catra smiled back. “I’ll hold her down.”

“And then the war will be over,” Adora mused.

“We could see _all_ of Etheria,” Catra said with wonder. “We would never have to come back to the Fright Zone.”

“I wanna see the ocean,” Adora said, remembering how impossible and wonderful the vast expanse of water that covered half their planet had sounded when she read about it in one of her textbooks.

Catra wrinkled her nose, causing Adora to laugh again. “Okay, but I am _not_ getting wet.”

As they finally began to drift to sleep Catra crawled to the end of Adoras bunk - her favorite spot, and as Adora closed her eyes she felt a furry tail wrap around her ankle, warm and familiar and comforting.

She couldn’t imagine a future without Catra at the foot of her bed, having her back in battle, by her side wherever they travelled once peace was achieved in Etheria. It was an unspoken given, no matter what happened Adora and Catra would be together.

* * *

 The Horde was buzzing with excitement - as much as the Horde ever got excited about anything. An invasion on Colonia had succeeded after battling the rebellion there for weeks. Soldiers were starting to come back to the Fright Zone with crates of confiscated supplies, and glorious stories of victory.

“Grizzlor was saying they brought back at least five _dozen_ boxes of food - can you believe it? I mean, we knew princesses were greedy but that's just excessive,” Adora ranted as she pulled her hair up into its usual ponytail, making sure the band was tight so it wouldn’t fall out and get in her face during training.

“Do you think we’ll ever actually _see_ any of that food?” Catra grumbled, already finished putting on her gear and now lazily stretched out on the bench in the locker room.

“The cooks’ll probably work it into the rations for the next few days,” Adora shrugged, she didn’t know what the Horde did with the supplies it confiscated but she knew it must be put to good use. She sighed thoughtfully. “I wish I could have been there, when the rebellion retreated,” She said. “I bet the people in Colonia were so grateful that we got rid of the princesses.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Forget that, I wanna be there to _make_ the rebellion retreat - and then, I would eat a _ton_ of food and let the villagers wait on me.”

“ _Catra_ , we’re supposed to _free_ the people,” Adora chided with a smirk. “You can’t make them your slaves.”

“They’re not slaves,” Catra said dismissively. “Like you said, they’ll just be _so_ grateful that I saved them that they’ll want to shower me with gifts and praise.”

“Right, and they’ll erect a statue of you and have an annual celebration in your honor,” Adora said.

Catra shrugged. “If they think it’s necessary.”

Adora laughed and decidedly moved on. “I would go to the top of the mountains outside Colonia and see the snow.”

“What's so special about frozen water?” Catra asked.

“I dunno, I guess it’s _cool_ ,” Adora grinned, watching Catras reaction in the mirror.

“Oh _please_ tell me you did not just make that joke,” Catra groaned, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you think we’ll be a little busy to climb a mountain?”

“Well then we’ll do it after the war is over,” Adora said, unphased.

“So, when we’re eighty,” Catra said sarcastically.

Adora turned, tightening the straps on her arm shields, and sat on the edge of the bench, her knee bumping Catras. “We’re junior cadets,” Adora said. “In a few years we’ll be in the fight, and once we are the rebellion won’t stand a chance.”

“Conceited much? You think _you_ can end the war?” Catra said.

“Coming from the girl who wants a statue,” Adora joked, playfully shoving Catras shoulder before sobering. “No, but I think _we_ can, you and I are a great team.”

Adora didn’t miss how Catras cheeks reddened before she looked away. “I mean, I guess you can take _some_ of the credit.”

“I’m not the one who never shows up to training,” Adora scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Yeah but I don’t show up because I don’t need to,” Catra drawled. “But you’re right, those princesses will run away when they hear our _names_ ,” She agreed with a wicked smile.

Adoras laughter was cut off by the ring of the warning bell over the speakers. “I think we need to get to practice if we want to terrify any princesses.”

“I don’t _need_ practice to scare a princess, but yeah, lets go,” Catra said, following Adora out of the locker rooms.

* * *

 Each prick of the suture through the skin on her back felt like it was driving the message home again and again: Catra hated her. She had left Adora for dead in the First Ones temple, she had launched a direct attack against Adoras new home, and she had clawed deep gashes into her skin that would surly scar as a remind of exactly how she felt.

Laying on her stomach on a table in the Brightmoon infirmary Adora fought back tears.

“Are you sure you don’t want something for the pain?” Glimmer asked again, having insisted on staying despite Adoras assurances that she didn’t need her to.

“No, I’m okay, it’s- it’s not that,” Adora insisted.

Glimmer looked skeptical but let it go.

Adora wasn’t lying, she was no stranger to pain, the sting of the stitches or the soreness in her muscles was nothing new and nothing she couldn’t handle - training in the Horde could get brutal, and she had been battered in fights before, but the hurt of just how far gone Catra was from the friend Adora once thought she knew ached worse than anything she had ever felt.

Catras words kept echoing through Adoras mind. _I don’t_ want _to leave, what don’t you understand about that?_

_You know, it all makes sense now, you’ve always been the one holding me back, you wanted me to think I needed you, you wanted me to feel weak._

_You leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me._

Even though they had spent the past few months fighting, even though Catra had repeatedly made it clear that she didn’t want to leave the Horde, even though she had done horrible things to Etheria and Adoras friends, Adora had still believed that at some point Catra would join her - that she hadn’t left with Adora because she wasn't ready, or because she felt like she had something to prove, or because she was just being stubborn as she always had been.

And now Adora finally understood.

Catra would never come with her, the moment they parted ways in Thaymore was the moment their relationship ended.

All those years where they had had each others backs, all the talk of one day running the Horde and saving the world together, the plans of seeing Etheria and going on adventures and never doing anything without each other, none of it would ever happen.

And now Adora had seen oceans, and snow, and eaten food more delicious than she could have ever imagined as a hungry kid in the Horde, but none of it felt satisfying without Catra to share it with. She had just won a battle with the alliance she had worked so hard to create, but it didn’t feel like much of a victory when she watched Catra retreat on a skiff.

Even her dreams of seeing peace in Etheria felt empty - she used to imagine taking down the princesses and dismantling their kingdoms with her squad by her side, making the rest of the world more like the Horde, and living a happy life with Catra once everything had settled down.

Now she knew that bringing peace back to Etheria meant stopping the Horde, fighting her old friends and protecting her new ones, taking on the responsibility of being She-Ra no matter how much it scared her.

If she seen peace in her lifetime it would no longer be with Catras help.

In her deepest fears Catra wouldn’t even make it to the end of the war, and Adora wouldn’t be able to do anything about it because Catra didn’t want Adora to protect her - even worse, she feared Catra wouldn’t make it _because_ of her.

Adora squeezed her eyes shut to dispel the thought that twisted her stomach into knots and heard Glimmer huff.

“Is there _anything_ you can give her?” She asked the medic working on Adoras back quietly.

Adora didn’t tell her that the only thing that would make her feel better would be Catra by her side, laughing and sarcastic and her best friend again.

* * *

 The energy in the council chambers in the Kingdom of Snows was tense.

Adora had come to know Frosta as simply a regular kid since she had joined the alliance, and had almost forgotten just how cold she could be, but from the moment Adora, Bow, and Glimmer walked in with Catra alongside them for the strategy meeting Frosta had fallen back into the harsh facade she had presented at Princess Prom.

She hadn’t been subtle about her distrust of Catra, even once they explained that she was on their side now and Catra gave a somewhat awkward apology for her past actions against the Kingdom of Snows. She wasn’t the only princess that was unsure about Catras allegiance, but she was the one that had been the most upfront about it.

With every mention of sensitive information Frosta glanced at Catra wearily, and when Catra revealed her own intel gathered during her time in the Horde Frosta was quick to scrutinize it. She looked at Catra as if she was trying to see through to her very core, and she rarely spoke directly to her.

“Shoot, I left it in my room,” Adora muttered when Glimmer asked her to bring out the map of the land under Princess Peekablues rule.

“I’ll get it,” Catra volunteered. “It’s in your bag, right?”

Before Adora could thank her Frosta interrupted. “Guard, could you escort Catra to Princess Adora's room,” Frosta called to the guard stationed at the door. “Make sure she doesn’t get... lost.”

Catra, who had been halfway out of her chair before Frosta spoke, froze, looking at her with disbelief. Frosta stared back, face devoid of any emotion.

“ _Augh_ ,” Catra groaned, her hands balling into fists. She pushed away from the table roughly and stormed out the door.

Adora got up, stopping the guard from following. “I’ll go with her,” She promised.

“Catra, wait!” She called as she ran after her down the hallway. Catras ears twitched, indicating she heard her, and she slowed her pace enough for Adora to catch up. “I know Frosta can be frustrating-”

“Ugh, I can’t believe I have to let a _seven year old_ talk to me like that-” Catra grumbled.

“You can’t really blame her for not trusting you,” Adora said placatingly. “You did try to destroy her kingdom.”

Catra kept her eyes forward. “I don’t care, she doesn’t have to like me or trust me or whatever,”

Adora caught Catras wrist, stopping her in her tracks. “ _I_ care,” She said, forcing Catra to meet her eye. “I want you two to get along, Frosta is really cool once you get to know her. Besides, she’s part of the alliance, you’ll have to see each other sometimes and it’s better if everyone gets along.”

Catras posture loosened and Adora gave her a small smile. “C’mon, let go back and I’ll talk to her, tell her to give you a chance.”

Catra suddenly bristled, her expression turning hard again. “I don’t _need_ you to make friends for me,” She snapped. “I’ve done it without you before.”

“Scorpia and Entrapta don’t really count,” Adora laughed like it was a joke Catra should understand.

“Why not?” Catra asked incredulously, yanking her arm out of Adoras grasp.

“Because they were too trusting to see that you were manipulating them at first?” She reminded her.

Catra scoffed and started walking away again. “Oh right, because they couldn’t have _wanted_ to be friends with me,” Catra said sarcastically. “I forgot, only you ever really liked me and I should be grateful that you convince _your_ friends not to hate me.”

“I didn’t say that,” Adora protested as she followed her up the stairs towards the guest suites, confused about how the conversation had gotten so off course, what had made Catra so mad?

“You didn’t need to,” Catra shook her head. “That’s just how it’s always been - everyone _tolerates_ Catra because they _love_ Adora. Well guess what,” She snapped, turning at the top stair to glare at Adora. “I’ve got my own friends now and they chose me even when you _didn’t_.”

The words felt like a blow to Adoras chest. Catra always knew how to hit exactly where it would hurt the most - and Adoras leaving was one of her favorite sore spots to target. “It was never about choosing, I didn’t-” She began to argue before shaking her head to clear it. “Ugh, look, we are _not_ fighting about this again, not here,” She said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I’m not fighting, it’s just a fact,” Catra shrugged, feigning indifference. “Scorpia and Entrapta were there for me when you weren’t and it drives you _crazy_.”

“Catra, thats not-”

“You thought I’d be so lonely but I made new friends then, I didn’t need your help, and I don’t need you to set me up with your friends now either.”

Adora rolled her eyes. “Because you’re doing such a good job on your own-”

“Oh yeah, because I won’t kiss Princess Frostys ass it’s _my_ fault we’re not hitting it off,” Catra said. “Sorry I won’t beg for forgiveness for being part of the Horde like you must have.”

“You weren’t just part of the Horde - you were second in command, Catra, that’s a big deal-”

“And now I have to spend the rest of my life making up for it because I’m not _special_ like you, because I didn’t find a magic sword that absolved me of all my mistakes,” Catra spit.

“You act like it was easy for me-” Adora said.

“It’s always been easy for you-”

“Princess Adora?” A voice called faintly from down in the foyer.

Catra crossed her arms over her chest defensively, looking away. “Go,” She said quietly. “I’m going to my room.”

“Catra,” Adora sighed.

“Just go, tell the Ice Queen I promise not to bomb her palace or anything,” Catra said, leaving Adora staring after her on the steps.

Adora had a hard time focusing through the rest of the meeting, and as soon as it was adjourned she made her way to Catras guest room.

It wasn’t the first time her and Catra had fought since Catra joined the rebellion, and it almost surely wouldn’t be the last. There was still bitterness between them - from fighting so viciously, from misunderstandings, from their years in the Horde where feelings were kept secret that hadn’t surfaced until they were on opposite sides of the war. Catra defecting had only fixed a handful of problems.

Still, Adora prefered arguing with her best friend to facing her on a battlefield.

Adora took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting for Catra to call out her okay before slipping inside, finding Catra sitting on the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, chin resting on her arms.

They regarded each other apprehensively for a moment before Adora sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’m sorry,” She said quietly.

“Yeah, me too,” Catra said, looking out the window across the room to avoid Adoras gaze.

“I just- I just want all my friends to like you, to see why _I_ like you, but you’re right, you don’t need my help to do that,” Adora said slowly.

Catra let out a long sigh. “No, I _do_. Thats why I was- Ugh, you’re just- everyone _likes_ you, and it’s like, even now that I’m _trying_ , even now that I’m doing the right thing, they _still_ don’t like me.”

“That’s not true,” Adora said. “Glimmer and Bow like you, and Mermista, and Scorpia and Entrapta-”

“Who I had to manipulate to be friends with me,” Catra gave a hard laugh.

Adora burned with shame. “I shouldn’t have said that,” She said. “Scorpia and Entrapta think you’re great, they love you.”

When Catra said nothing Adora crawled across the bed until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. “You don’t need me to make people like you,” Adora reiterated. “You are funny, and smart, and so fearless it borders on reckless, and you really _get_ people in a way that I don’t,” She listed, gently brushing a piece of hair off Catras shoulder that was hiding her face from Adora. “And you’re a _really_ good friend.”

“Jeez, you’re so cheesy,” Catra mumbled, blushing slightly.

Adora grinned for a moment before becoming serious again. “I need to remember that we’re not little kids any more, that you don’t need me to make the other cadets include you, I promise to try to remember that in the future,” Adora said.

“Heh, yeah, I don’t care if Lonnie wants to hang out or not,”

Adora lightly nudged Catra. “You know what I meant.”

“And I _really_ don’t wanna be invited if Kyle asks-”

As they laughed and the tension began to melt away Adora was reminded again of how grateful she was to have Catra back.

It wasn’t the way she had imagined her life with Catra as a kid, it wasn’t easy at times - in fact it was often messy, and painful. They had hurt each other, there was a lot that needed to be worked out.

But Adora was committed to making things right, and she knew Catra was too, no matter how nonchalant she tried to play it.

They couldn’t go back to the way they had been before, but that was okay because it would be better. It would be worth it.

* * *

 Everything was perfect - the weather was warm and the sky was clear blue without a cloud in sight, Adoras white tuxedo fit like a glove, and from her bedroom window she could see the setup for the ceremony looked just as beautiful as planned. She was completely relaxed as she sat at her vanity, Glimmer working on her hair.

And then Bow came in with panic clearly written across his face. Adoras stomach dropped.

“The candles are gone,” He said, his voice strained.

“What?!” She gasped.

“I thought Catra gave them to Entrapta to keep safe?” Glimmer asked, paused with her hands holding Adoras braid together.

Bow cringed. “Apparently Entrapta thought she was giving them to her as a gift and she… burned them.”

“She _burned_ them?!” Adora cried.

The candles were meant to be lit at the beginning of the ceremony - by Etherian tradition if they stayed lit through the whole wedding the couple would have a long and happy marriage, and if the candles blew out...

“I need to see Catra,” Adora said, pulling out of Glimmers grasp on her hair and pushing past Bow in the doorway.

Two shouts of “Adora wait!” rang through the hall behind her but she kept going, Bow and Glimmer on her heels reminding her how it was bad luck for the brides to see each other on the day of the wedding.

She banged on Catras door.

Scorpia answered, her usual cheery expression turning to alarm when she seen who it was. “Ahh, you can’t be here, bad luck!” She said, glancing over her shoulder anxiously.

“Catra!” Adora called into the room, trying to see around Scorpias big form blocking the doorway.

“You know you can’t see the bride before the wedding!” Scorpia reminded her.

“I need to talk to her,” Adora insisted. Bow and Glimmer finally caught up, slightly out of breath. Glimmer placed a hand on Adoras arm comfortingly. Adora sighed. “What if… we stayed on opposite sides of the door? I _just_ need to talk to her,” She repeated.

Scorpia looked unsure but she called for Catra and a few seconds later Adora heard that familiar voice on the other side of the double doors. “Hey Adora.”

“Catra, Entrapta burned the candles.” Adora said, tone giving away that she was seconds from breaking into hysterics. Bow, Glimmer, and Scorpia walked a ways down the hall to give them privacy.

“She _what_?” Catra screeched. “I’m gonna _kill_ her.”

“Catra, we can’t get married,” Adora said grimmly. “We can’t- it has to be perfect - if we don’t have those candles - if we don’t- the whole marriage will be doomed and-”

“Woah, woah, it’s just some candles,” Catra said.

“But they symbolize our future, Catra!” Adora exclaimed. “This _entire day_ is about our future, we have to get it right because… because maybe our past together wasn’t perfect but the future can be and if today doesn’t go right then we’re already off to a bad start and I don’t want to make any more mistakes-”

“Adora, babe, we don’t need some stupid candles to make our future perfect,” Catra said gently. A hand came from around the door and Adora took it, holding on like it was a lifeline. Catra squeezed lightly. “We make our own future. And you’re right, our past _wasn’t_ perfect, so we’ve already proven that nothing can stand in the way of us being together, I’m definitely not letting candles tell us we’re gonna split up.”

Adora rested her forehead on the cool wood of the door, taking a deep breath as Catras logic calmed her.

“Today doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be about us making a promise to always love each other,” Catra said. "Nothing else matters. Except maybe that sexy suit you’re wearing.”

Adora gave a small laugh. “How did you know I’m wearing a suit?”

“I didn’t but you just confirmed it,” Catra said, smirk clear in her voice. “You know, if it’s that important to you Glimmer probably has some fancy candles in her room or something.”

“Very berry scented candles to represent our future?” She laughed. “But yeah, I’ll ask her. Can I have a kiss before I go?”

“Scorpia would lose her mind if she saw it, so of course,” Catra said.

“Close your eyes, we don’t need to tempt fate any more then we already have.”

“But I’m so good at tempting,” Catra said.

Adora rolled her eyes before shutting them, leaning around the door to peck Catra on the lips quickly before ducking back behind the wood.

“See you at the altar,” She said sweetly before heading back down the hall.

And of course Catra was right. Once the ceremony started Adora forgot all about traditions and superstitions and candles that would reveal their marriages fate - she had known the most important thing about their future since they were little kids: that they would be together.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly that pre-wedding scene is the best thing I've ever written, also I cry every time I write them as little kids they were so CUTE


End file.
